Clutch



(No Model.)

F. J. LYONS.

CLUTCH. No. 590,068. Patented $ept. 14,1897.

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ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,068, datedSeptember 14:, 1897. Application filed January 15, 1897. Serial No.619,288. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, FRANOIS'J. LYONS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Olutches,of which the following isa fulLclear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein IFigure 1 is a sideelcvational view of my improved mechanism, part of thepower-lever Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, portions being shown intop plan.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in clutches; andit consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of theseveral parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward setforth in the claims.

The object of the invention is to produce a clutch adapted to be appliedto numerous forms of machinery where it is desired to obtain greaterspeed, which clutch is simple, compact, and durable and requires little,if any, additional expenditure of energy toeffeet its operation.

Generally stated'm y improved clutch consists of what may be termed asun-and planet gearing, consisting of a pinion and a toothed ringadapted to transmit motion to said pinion, and a ratchet-and-pawlmechanism for driving the gearing, said ratchet-andpawl mechanismbeingfoperated 'by a lever, which is adapted to be rockedby the handorfoot of an operator, according to the nature of the machinery to bedriven.

In the drawings, A. indicates a standard upon which the several parts ofthe mechanism are mounted and held in their proper relative positions.

13 indicates a pinion mounted upon the end of a shaft 13, journaled in abearing B on the upperportion of the standard A, which shaft B is theshaft which operates the machinery to be driven and is adapted to havemounted upon it a suitable flywhecl, if desired.

O indicates an internallygtoothcd ring provided with a hub O, which maybe held in place by suitable spokes, or, preferably, as illustrated inthe drawings, a plate 0 integral therewith and with the ring 0. The hubO is journaled upon a stub-axle secured to the standard A at such apoint that the teeth of the ring O mesh with the teeth of pinion 13,whereby upon the rotation of the ring motion is imparted to the pinion.It is to be understood iri this connection that an externallytoothedwheel or ring would operate in pre cisely the same manner, the object\in can ploying a ring provided with internal teeth being for sake ofcompactness and to protect the teeth of both the ring and pinion. Theplate O serves in a measure to exclude grit or foreign particles andmaterially strengthens the ring 0,

The ring O is driven by a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism comprising ratchetteeth 0, formed on the periphery of the outer end of hub C, with whichteeth engage springpressed pawls d, mounted in an annular housing D,surrounding the outer end ofthe hub, as shown, and freely movablethereon. This housing is formed of two sections having a hingedconnection, one of said sections being provided with an apertured lug orprojection D, while the other section is formed with an outturnedportion d, which is also formed with an opening. Abolt cl is passedthrough the openings in portions d and D and provided with a nut on itsouter end, which is adapted to impinge against lug D and lock thesections together.

The inner edges of the side walls of the housing have bearings on thehub O on each side of the teeth 0, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, thehousing thereby running true or without vibration or wa-bblin g in itsreturn movement after an operation of the actuating-lever is effected.

'In the outer end of lug D" is pivoted the end of a link E, whose otherend is pivotally connected to a lever 1*. The lever F is pivoted to astationary part, preferably an eX- tension of standard A, as shown,whileits outer end may be extended to a suitable length and providedwith a foot-pedal or handgrasp, as desired or necessary.

G indicates a spring secured at one end to abracke't- G, mounted uponthe standard, and at its other end to the lever F, its function being toreturn the lever to its normal position after being rocked by anoperator.

Suitable roller or ball bearings may be prolines the lever depressedsuch a distance that vided in the journals of all rotating parts of themechanism, but as they form no part of this invention I have deemed itunnecessary to describe in detail such features.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The lever being depressedwill, through its linked connection with housing I), rotate saidhousing, which in turn by its pawls (Z engaging the teeth 0 rotate ring0, which in retating will impart motion to pinion I Iinion B, being ofmuch smaller diameter, will rotate much faster than its driving ring,thereby imparting a speedy motion to its attached shaft. Afterthe leverhas reached the limit of its downward movement and is relieved ofpressure the tension of spring G will tend to return the lever toitsnormal position, causing the housing D to rotate in a reverse directionindependent of the hub of the ring 0, the pawls riding over the teeth toperniit this.

In the drawings I have shown in dotted 1 l i i the ring 0 is drivenone-third of a complete revolution, which movement of the ring willdrive the pinion B about two complete revolutions. It is obvious,however, that by liiniting the throw of the lever and varying therelative sizes of the ring and pinion different speeds can be attainedwithout in the least departing from the nature and principle of myinvent-ion.

Having thus described lnyinvention, what- 1 I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Pat- E enil, is i 1. In a clutch, the combination witha pin- 1 ion, of a gear-wheel, adapted to mesh with i said pinion, aratchet-and-pawl mechanism for imparting motion to said gear-wheel, saidmechanism comprising ratchet-teeth formed on the hub of said gear-wheel,said hub being formed with bearing-shoulders on each side of theratchet-teeth and within the line of said teeth, a divided housingmounted upon said bearing-shoulders, spring-pressed pawls in and carriedby said housing which are adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth, and aspring-returned operating-lever having a linked connection with saidhousing; substantially as described.

9. Ina elutch, the combination with a supportingstandard, of a shaft tobe driven mounted therein, a pinion on said shaft, a power-leverfulcrumed on said standard, an internal gear mounted on said standardbetween the same and the lever and meshing with said pinion,ratchet-teeth formed on the hub of said internal gear on the sideadjacent the lever, a bearing-shoulder on said hub 011 each side of theratchet-teeth, an annular housing rotatively mounted on saidbearingshoulders and inclosing said ratchet-teeth, a spring-pressed pawlcarried by said housing and adapted to engage said ratchet-teeth, and alink connection between said lever and housing, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 11th day of January, 1897.

FRANCIS J. LYONS.

Witnesses F. R. CORN\VALL, HUGH K. WAGNER.

